Improvement in school-desks



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

FRANCIS A. WILBER, OF WABASH, INDIANA.

v IMPROVEMENT `|N SCHOOL-DESKS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,979, dated July 15, 1873; application filed May 5, 1873.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS A. WILBER, of Wabash, in the county of Wabash and State of Indiana, have invented certain Improve- Y ments in School-Desks, of which the following is a specification: v

The invention relates to an improvement in school-desks; and consists in a horizontal sliding platform, arranged in the top of the desk, by which means one of the sections may be turned up to form a bokrest, as hereinafter described; and itI also consists in the use of pivoted levers at the side of the desk to support the section when turned up to form a book-rest, all of which will be fully described hereafter.

In the drawings, Figure l represents the desk as closed and as it appears when not in special use; Fig. 2, a view of the desk when opened to form the book-rest; Fig. 3, a view of the desk with the sliding platform drawn ont.

The letter d represents a book-shelf elevated above the desk proper. The desk-top, in addition to the book-shelf aforesaid,consists of two sections, a front part, a, and a back part, b, hinged together. The lower portion p of the desk is of a box form, and is provided on its upper edge with ribs or guides S, to which grooves in the sliding sections a b are adapted, and upon which they slide. The front section a of the sliding sections is provided with a rib or bar, a, so that when brought to the po sition shown. in Fig. 2 it Will form a convenient book-support, and may be brought to any inclination to suit the user.

In order to prevent the sections a being drawn too far out I apply stops t t to the under side of the same, which, coming against the front portion f of the desk, preventits being drawn out too far.

Upon each end of the desk are arranged pivoted levers c having on their ends project' ing studs e', preferably of an elastic material, by which means the section a may be brought to any desired inclination and supported by the levers e.

By employing the hinged or sliding section the area of the desk may be increased, when desired, by simply drawing out the same, and When not required the sections may be pushed inward under the top d and the desk rendered attractive and neat, which is not the case Where folding sections are used to vary the extent of the desk.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl

1. In a school-desk, the sliding hinged sec! tions a b, so arranged Within the desk that they may be drawn out and the section a turned up to form a booksnpport, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the sliding sections a b, one or more pivoted levers, e, arranged at the side of the desk to support the section a when turned up, substantiallyas described.

\ F. A. WILBER.

IVitnesses:

JOHN M. CUTHNA, MIKE S. EFFiNGER. 

